1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a support for a plumb bob adapted for use by pipe fitters by which the plumb bob can be quickly and accurately suspended from a pipe or similar cylindrical object with the plumb bob being aligned with the center of the pipe thereby enabling the plumb bob to accurately indicate a center point of the pipe on a surface below the pipe. The support includes a pair of elongated, arcuate arms generally in the form of a caliper used for measuring outside diameters of pipes and the like with pipe engaging clips or jaws mounted on the facing ends of the arms by a universal ball and socket connection. The arms are pivotally connected and include a swivelly mounted hook to which the plumb bob can be connected. The arms also include laterally extending pins on which a bubble level can be supported to accurately position the pipe engaging clips in horizontal alignment thereby assuring that the hook and thus the plumb bob will be accurately aligned with the center line of the pipe. An adjustment screw and nut arrangement is used to move the arms to clampingly engage the pipe engaging clips with the pipe or enable the arms to move apart when releasing the support from the pipe.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Various devices have been provided to locate the center line of a pipe and to provide an indicator aligned with the center line of the pipe to indicate the center line or center point of the pipe on an underlying surface. The following U.S. patents relate to this field of endeavor:
953,131 PA1 1,134,125 PA1 1,235,279 PA1 2,841,881 PA1 3,068,573
While devices supporting a plumb bob from a cylindrical object are generally known, none of the prior art utilizes the specific structure of the spring biased arms, the V-shaped clips connected thereto by a universal ball and socket connection, the crew mechanism to clamp the arms into supporting engagement with a pipe combined with the swivel hook supporting the plumb bob and lateral pins on the arms to support a bubble level to enable the clips to be horizontally aligned to assure that the plumb bob will be aligned with the center line of the pipe.